Bandage package



June 26, 1956 L, D, ABBOTT 2,752,038

BANDAGE PACKAGE Filed June 29, 1954 INVENTOR Lew/5D 6501f ATTORNEY United tates Patent BANDAGE PACKAGE Lewis D. Abbott, New York, N. Y. Application June 29, 1954, Serial No. 440,170

8 Claims. (Cl. 206-632) The present invention relates to improvements in surgical dressings, and it relates more particularly to an improved surgical dressing and a protective envelope therefor which may be opened simply and easily to permit the application of the surgical dressing at any desired position.

It has long been conventional to package surgical dressings individually in order to protect them from external contamination before application. In recent years, it has become a common practice individually to package a strip of adhesive tape carrying a surgical dressing such as a gauze pad or compress, either treated or untreated. These individually packaged adhesive tape carried dressings are Widely used domestically and for first aid purposes and are usually self-applied. Such being the case, it is necessary that the dressing be easily removed and applied With a minimum of dexterity and with little exposure of the dressing, per se, prior to application. However, individually packaged surgical dressings of this type have heretofore been characterized by their complexity and difiiculty of employment and application. The opening of the containing envelope is usually awkward, and separate operations are generally necessary to remove the adhesive and the protective materials before the dressing may be applied. Another disadvantage of the conventionally packaged dressing is its generally untidy arrangement from the standpoint of the number of separable elements which must ultimately be disposed of when the dressing portion is removed and applied.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved packaged surgical dressing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved, individually packaged dressing including an adhesive tape carrying a pad and a disposable envelope protectively covering the dressing.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved, individually packaged first aid dressing characterized by its simplicity and ease of application.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved, individually wrapped first aid dressing including a gauze pad mounted on a strip of adhesive tape and packaged in a disposable envelope and characterized in the ease of removal of the dressing from the envelope and its subsequent application.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved, individually packaged first aid dressing including an adhesive tape carrying a compress or the like and a sealed protective envelope enclosing the dressing and characterized by the dressing being easily removable from the envelope and readied for application, leaving the open envelope and other protective material disposable as a single unit.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view, partially broken away, of an improved individually packaged first aid dressing ice;

illustrated in closed condition and constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view thereof in open condition, the first aid dressing being illustrated in broken lines in readiness for application;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the application of the first aid dressing to a finger;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in open condition.

The present invention broadly contemplates the provision of a packaged surgical dressing comprising first and second superimposed panels separably sealed along their confronting edges to define an envelope, a strip of adhesive tape having a dressing positioned on a face thereof, said tape being disposed in said envelope and having an end thereof separably secured to a first end of said first panel and a separable protective strip superimposed upon said dressing and the adhesive face of said tape, said protective strip having an end secured to the end of said second panel adjacent said first end of said first panel.

in accordance With a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the envelope is formed of a long strip of paper folded transversely at substantially its midpoint to form a hinge. A strip of buckram or crinoline of slightly less Width than the paper strip is superimposed thereon and the dressing carrying adhesive tape, in turn, is superimposed upon said buckrarn strip within the borders of the buckram and extending to points short of the panel hinge and a free end of the panel. The free ends of the buckram and paper strip are folded over to secure the buckram at one end and the buckram and adhesive tape at the other end, and to form opening tabs or flaps. The buckram and paper are folded at the hinge portion and the edges of the paper and the inner edges of the tabs are sealed by means of a suitable adhesive along their confronting faces, the ends of the tabs being free to facilitate the opening of the envelope.

in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the buckram is secured to and extends for the length of only one of the panels and the adhesive tape is secured to the free end of the other of said panels. In all other respects, this embodiment is similar to the preferred embodiment.

Reference is now made to the drawings, and more particuiarly to Figures 1 to 4 thereof which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the numeral 10 generally designates an envelope formed of a strip of paper, cellophane or other suitably frangible material folded or hinged as at 12 to define a lower or base panel 14 and an upper or covering panel 16. Superimposed upon the inner faces of and co-extensive with the panels 14 and 16 is a strip 18 of buckram, crinoline or other material readily separable from the tacky material coating a face of the adhesive tape, the buckram strip 18 being narrower than the panels 14 and 16. The dressing per se consists of a strip 20 of adhesive tape consisting of a woven fabric or plastic backing and a layer of adhesive in accordance with conventional practice.

A suitable dressing 22, which may be a gauze pad, compress or other dressing, either treated or untreated, is positioned upon the adhesive face of the tape 20. The tape 20 is superimposed upon the buckram strip 18 and extends from a point short of the hinge or fold 12. The ends of the buckram strip 18 are secured to the free ends of the panels 14 and 16, which ends are folded over to form tabs 24 and 26 respectively. The confronting faces of the folded panel ends forming the tabs 24 and 26 are suitably cemented to maintain the tabs and permit their undoing. Moreover, the end of the tape 20 is engaged between the opposing faces of the folded end of the 3 buckram strip 18 sandwiched in the tab 24. A suitable, preferably non-hardening adhesive is applied to the side edges of the inner faces of the panels 14 and 16 and to the inner edges of the tabs 24 and 26 and the panels are folded along the hinge 12 to complete and seal the envelope 10, providing free tabs 24 and 26, and completely enclosing and protecting the tape 20 and the dressing 22.

In employing the present improved packaged dressing, the tabs 24 and 26 are grasped between the thumb and index finger of each hand and spread to separate the panels 14 and 16 to open position, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. The tape 20 and dressing 22 will follow the panel 14 by reason of the end of the tape 20 being engaged by thetab 24, the buckram strip 18 being easily separable from the adhesive face of the tape 29. The dressing 22 is then applied to the injured area, such as the finger, and the unengaged end of the tape 20 is pressed against the area adjacent the injury to effect securement thereto. The tab 24 will automatically open during application of the tape 20 by pulling the envelope in a direction away from the tape 20 to permit full detachment of the tape from the envelope and completion of the application of the tape and dressing. It is apparent from the above that opening of the envelope and the application of the dressing can be performed in a single continuous, simple motion.

The embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figure of the drawing is similar to that previously described, diifering therefrom principally in that a buckram or similar non-adhesive strip 3%) is provided and extends for the length of only one of the panels 34. The buckram strip 30 may be completely cemented to the upper face of the panel 34 or may have its corresponding end secured to the free end of the panel 34. The dressing carrying ad hesive tape 36 is disposed on a panel 38 hinged to the panel 34 and extends into the pocket formed by folding the free end of the panel 38 to define a tab 40. A small buckram strip 42 is located between the adhesive face of the end of the tape 36 and the confronting face of the folded end of the panel 38. The folding of the panels 34 and 38 and the closing and sealing thereof to form a protective envelope and the application of the resulting article is similar to that described in connection with the preferred embodiment of the present invention previously set forth.

While there has been described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A packaged surgical dressing comprising first and second superimposed panels separably sealed along their confronting edges to define an envelope, a strip of adhesive tape having a dressing positioned on a face thereof, said tape being disposed in said envelope and having an end thereof separably secured to a first end of said first panel and the other end thereof free of attachment to said panels, and a separable protective strip superimposed upon said dressing and the adhesive face of said tape, said protective strip having an end secured to the end of said second panel adjacent said first end of said first panel.

2. A packaged surgical dressing in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second panels are defined by a longitudinally extending strip of frangible material folded along a medial transverse axis to form a hinge between said panels.

3. A packaged surgical dressing in accordance with claim 2, wherein said separable protective strip is folded along a transverse axis defining a hinge substantially coinciding with the hinge connecting said envelope panels, said strip of adhesive tape being sandwiched between said folds of said separable protective strip.

4. A packaged surgical dressing comprising a strip of frangible material folded along a transverse axis to define first and second panels connected by a hinge, a separable protective strip narrower than said frangible strip and symmetrically superimposed thereon and extending substantially to the ends thereof, said protective strip being folded along a transverse axis to define a hinge substantially coinciding with the hinge between said panels, a strip of adhesive tape carrying a dressing and superimposed upon said protective strip and extending substantially from an end thereof to the hinge portion, one end of said strip of adhesive tape being separably secured to an end of one of said panels and the other end of said strip being free from other attachment to said panels, said panels and said protective strip being folded along said hinges to sandwich said tape and dressing therebetween and said panels being secured along their confronting edges.

5. A packaged surgical dressing in accordance with claim 4, wherein the ends of said protective strip are secured to the free ends of said panels.

6. A packaged surgical dressing in accordance with claim 5, wherein the free ends of said panels are inwardly folded to define tabs, the confronting inner edges of said tabs being separably joined and the outeredges thereof being substantially free,'one of said tabs engaging said separably secured end of said adhesive strip.

7. A packaged surgical dressing comprising a strip of frangible material folded along a transverse axis to define first and second panels connected by a hinge, a separable protective strip narrower than said frangible strip and symmetrically superimposed upon said first panel and extending substantially from said hinge to the free end of said first panel and being secured to said first panel, a dressing carrying adhesive tape not exceeding the width of said protective strip and superimposed upon said second panel, adhesive face up, and having one end thereof secured to the free end of said second panel and its other end free, said first and second panels being folded along said hinge and secured along their confronting edges to define an envelope enclosing said dressing carrying adhesive tape and said protective strip superimposed upon the adhesive face of said tape.

8. A packaged surgical dressing in accordance with claim 7, wherein the free end of said second panel is folded over to form a tab defining a pocket between its confronting faces, the end of said tape registering with said pocket and a separable strip superimposed upon the adhesive face of the end of said tape engaged by said pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

7. A PACKAGED SURGICAL DRESSING COMPRISING A STRIP OF FRANGIBLE MATERIAL FOLDED ALONG A TRANSVERSE AXIS TO DEFINE FIRST AND SECOND PANELS CONNECTED BY A HINGE, A SEPARABLE PROTECTIVE STRIP NARROWER THAN SAID FRANGIBLE STRIP AND SYMMETRICALLY SUPERIMPOSED UPON SAID FIRST PANEL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY FROM SAID HINGE TO THE FREE END OF SAID FIRST PANEL AND BEING SECURED TO SAID FIRST PANEL, A DRESSING CARRYING ADHESIVE TAPE NOT EXCEEDING THE WIDTH OF SAID PROTECTIVE STRIP AND SUPERIMPOSED UPON SAID SECOND PANEL, ADHESIVE FACE UP, AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF SE- 